Turkey detains hundreds as mass protests follow detention of Erdogan’s main rival

Violent clashes erupted across several cities in Turkey between opposition supporters and state security forces for a second day, as demonstrators demand the release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, according to videos and reports from Turkish media outlets.

Turkish authorities detained 343 people during mass overnight protests across several cities condemning the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the main political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The protests across major cities, which began on Thursday, were largely peaceful, with tens of thousands of demonstrators defying a ban on protests to take to the streets against Imamoglu’s detention. Turkish authorities detained Imamoglu on Wednesday as part of corruption and terrorism investigations. Detention orders were also issued for about 100 others connected to the mayor, including his press adviser Murat Ongun, according to state-run news agency Anadolu Agency on Wednesday. His party say the charges are politically motivated. “Those who disrupt social order, threaten the peace and security of our nation, and seek chaos and provocation will never be given an opportunity and will definitely not be tolerated! ” Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement on Saturday. Imamoglu is expected to appear at Caglayan courthouse in Istanbul later on Saturday for further questioning by prosecutors. More protests across the country are expected across the country later. On Friday, social media videos and local media outlets in Turkey showed police in the capital cities Ankara and Istanbul firing tear gas and using water cannons to disperse protesters.